NBA Champions ·
2019 Toronto Raptors
The 2018-19 Toronto Raptors won the only NBA title in franchise history, beating the two-time champion Warriors in six games. Kawhi Leonard, acquired in a one-year gamble of a trade for DeMar DeRozan, won Finals MVP in his single season in Toronto. He also hit the most famous shot in team history, a corner buzzer-beater that bounced on the rim four times before falling against Philadelphia.
Toronto bet everything on one season. The front office traded DeMar DeRozan, a homegrown All-Star, to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard, who had played nine games the year before and could leave in free agency. The Raptors went 58-24 and rested him through stretches of the schedule, a practice the team called load management.
Leonard delivered in the playoffs. His Game 7 jumper against Philadelphia, a corner shot that rattled four times before dropping, sent Toronto to the conference finals. There the Raptors came back from 0-2 down to beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee.
Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and the midseason addition of Marc Gasol gave Toronto size and shooting around Leonard. Fred VanVleet caught fire from deep in the Finals after his newborn son arrived during the run.
Golden State was breaking down by then. Kevin Durant ruptured his Achilles in Game 5, and Klay Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6. Toronto closed it out on the road, the first championship for a team based outside the United States. Leonard signed with the Clippers a month later.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Lowry | PG | 83 |
| Danny Green | SG | 76 |
| Kawhi Leonard | SF | 95 |
| Pascal Siakam | PF | 82 |
| Marc Gasol | C | 79 |
| Fred VanVleet | 6th man | 78 |
| Nick Nurse | Coach | 85 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Serge Ibaka | C | backup center |
| Norman Powell | G | bench scorer |
| OG Anunoby | F | missed the playoffs after an appendectomy |